TIME-TO-SEE-45
Nicky had fallen asleep in the Recovery Room even before everyone left. He felt especially exhausted. Now he awoke in a private room where Dr. Gilmer was standing beside his hospital bed.
"Well, hello, Nicky. How're you feelin?" Dr, Gilmer asked.
"Really, Dr. Gilmer, I don't feel very good at all; my left side is killing me, but I hope maybe that's gonna be temporary, ya think?" He asked in return.
"Yes, Nicky. You'll recover nicely; although this time you might feel soreness under the arms even more persistently than you did before," Dr. Gilmer answered.
"You see, when your chest hit the tile deck with the full force of your body weight, that popped the steel retainer out of place, and the bar was then pressing directly on your heart preventing it from moving the volume of blood your body needed. You experienced that as losing consciousness," Dr. Gilmer explained.
"You would have suffered permanent brain damage if there hadn't been fast-thinking and fast-acting people to get you here to the hospital; so I could go in and reposition the bar."
"Yeah. I owe a lotta people. I gotta go tell each one in person that I appreciate all they did for me, and I'll promise them I won't do anything stupid like that again..." Nicky volunteered.
Dr. Gilmer smiled and rubbed Nicky's ever billowing red mop then said, "I know they'd appreciate that, Nicky. But what I find interesting is how you are completely aware now of the unnecessary risk you took, and how that's not the way to go about getting something important done.... I'd have thought you would be months learning that...," Dr. Gilmer said.
"Well, I would of, but while you were working on my chest in the operating room, I went to visit my Grandpa, and he talked to me about what I did," Nicky confided matter of fact.
"Your Grandpa?" Dr. Gilmer exclaimed.
"Yeah. He's Kevin's papa; so that makes him MY Grandpa. Anyhow, he helped me to see why I done that crazy stunt, when I shoulda let God help that little kid, and maybe I coulda helped God, but I didn't need to nearly kill myself tryin to save him all by myself, Grandpa told me." Nicky shared his view of things quite comfortably with Dr. Gilmer.
Dr. Gilmer stood there dumbfounded, not expecting this insightful if metaphysical explanation of things from an eleven-year old...
"Ah, so you think you won't be trying to be everybody's savior anymore, right?" Dr. Gilmer asked.
"Nope. I know God is taking care of things, and that I just need to find out where I fit in... You know, like maybe I could a got his mama or somebody else to get the kid before he got so close to the pool...," Nicky said.
"I don't know. I just DO know it feels good to realize I won't be hurting myself deliberately again. Grandpa said I was valuable, and now I think he's right; although I know I want Kevin and Hugo to tell me that from time to time; so's I don't forget...," Nicky said. "I forget things like that sometimes..."Nicky confessed.
"Well let me be the first to remind you, Nicky, that you are indeed a VERY, VERY valuable person, and we all love you very much, especially Kevin and Hugo." Dr. Gilmer said.
"Thanks. You really think so?" Nicky asked as a genuine query.
"I REALLY think so, Nicky." Dr. Gilmer replied suppressing the urge to smile at Nicky's simplicity.
"Okay."
Nicky lay there ruminating, "Here I am in the hospital again... Darn! I was really gettin used to being out. Oh, well, I gotta make sure I do it right this time. No problem..."
The sun was streaming brightly into Nicky's hospital room where dust particles floated all about like tiny balloons at a birthday party.
A gentle knock sounded against his door.
"Yeah?" Nicky called out to welcome the unidentified visitor.
The door creaked open and Jake poked his head around the edge and looked in. "Is it okay if we come in?" Jake asked Nicky.
"Oh, sure, Jake. I'm really glad you came," Nicky answered.
The door pushed open a little further, and in walked Jake holding the little boy who nearly fell in the Killer Whale pool. Craig was right behind them.
"Nicky, look who we brought to see you," Jake said smiling down at a very shy little boy who put his fingers in his mouth and his head on Jake's chest, where he nestled it into Jake's neck, hiding there to conceal his eyes.
Nicky felt a surge of energy as he spoke: "Hi! There. What's your name?"
There was a pause while the little boy squirmed even deeper into Jake's neck feeling especially self-conscious. Jake looked over at Nicky and said, "This is Dillon, Nicky! You remember him, don't you?"
"Oooooooh, yeah! I remember him alright!" Nicky said rolling his eyes and smiling broadly.
"Dillon." Nicky called out to the boy. "Thanks for coming to see me."
Dillon kept his head buried in Jake's neck but he swiveled it a bit when he heard his name, until he could see Nicky in the bed. Dillon took his wet fingers from his mouth and wiped them on Jake's cheek.
"Uh? Dillon, how 'bout we dry the fingers before you pat my face," Jake said with a loving, indulgent voice.
"Here, Hon, let me help," Craig said as he stepped around Jake with a fresh diaper to dry things off.
"Hi, Craig. What's goin on with the kid?" Nicky asked.
"It's a very long story that we'll tell you some Sunday afternoon when you're interested, but for now it amounts to Jake and me being appointed Foster Parents for Dillon. It's so sad. His mom and dad are both meth and rock cocaine users--those two are really bad into drugs--and now Dillon needs a home. Do you think you could be his big brother every now and then?" Craig asked?
"Oh, yeah... But it'll have to wait till I get out of here. He can come to visit me though, if you want to bring him," Nicky said.
"That's very nice of you, Nicky!" Jake said.
"Now Dillon doesn't understand who you are or what you did for him yet, but Craig and I and Jilder know, and we all think you were amazing... I want to give you a SUPER THANK YOU, NICKY for saving Dillon's life...God, you were fantastic..." Jake said.
"Well, I'm glad he's okay, 'cause I ain't gonna be doing that stunt again. It took too much outta me, but I'm really glad you brought Dillon to see me. Yeah. He don't know it, but he's a pretty important little guy to me... You might say, I think he's veeeery valuable," Nicky said.
"But no more valuable a guy than YOU ARE, Nicky!" Craig added quite spontaneously.
He walked over to Nicky's bed, put his arms around Nicky and gave him a hug.
"Easy, easy," Nicky said with an uncomfortable smile on his face.
"Ooops! Sorry. Just trying to give you a smooch!" Craig said.
Jake had walked over to Nicky's bed and lowered Dillon down onto the mattress.
"Watch him, Hon! Don't let him punch Nicky." Craig said.
"Sure, sure..." Jake said grabbing Dillon around the midsection and pulling him out of arm's reach of Nicky.
"Here, let me shake your hand, Dillon," Nick said, more as a request of Jake than of Dillon.
Jake let Dillon crawl closer to Nicky where Nicky reached out and took Dillon's hand and shook it. "You're a terrific little guy, Dillon. I wanna play with you when I'm feeling better. And I wanna take you to meet our dogs too... " Nicky said to Dillon.
"Doggie?" Dillon said.
"Well, he knows what you're talkin about, Nicky" Jake said with a smile.
Dillon turned his face to look up at Jake questioningly and asked again, "Doggie?"
It was clear he knew what the topic of conversation was, and he was ready to find the doggies.
"Yeah! Dillion, I got FOUR doggies and they would all just love to lick your face. They're BIG doggies," Nicky said.
"Big doggie!" Dillon replied with a broad smile on his face. This kid was up to speed on doggies.
Then Nicky asked Dillon, "Dillon, do you remember the Big fish that splashed water on you?"
Dillon looked around at everyone, his eyes questioning them one by one. He seemed to be saying "Big Fish? What's this guy talkin about??"
"You remember? Shamoo" Nicky said.
With that, a broad smile broke across Dillon's face as he repeated, "Sha-noo".
"Good Grief! The kid remembers..." Nicky said smiling... "Can you believe that..."
The morning passed very quickly, Nicky thoroughly enjoying his visitors.
In fact, it was growing very, very late, Nicky knew, but although he was tired and sore and generally felt lousy, he still wanted to see his dads and Jilder. He didn't care when it was that they came.
Jake and Craig were preparing to leave when Hugo and Kevin arrived with Jilder in tow.
Jilder made a bee line to Nicky's bed and threw his arms around Nicky and planted a big smooch on his forehead... "Hey, Nicky. Wanna go for a swim?" Jilder said.
"Wise ass," Nicky replied hugging Jilder in return. As Jilder started to rise, Nicky pulled him back close to him and just when Jilder was vulnerable Nicky tickled him in the stomach, where he knew Jilder was vulnerable... At the same time Nicky said with a big smile, "You can't hit me, I'm wounded, I'm wounded..."
"Jilder recoiled to cover his stomach and get out of Nicky's reach...."Oh, you turkey... You just wait until you're better...." Jilder threatened, which was the best response he could make under the circumstances. "YOU JUST WAIT,'Mr. Nickolas T. Wiseass' (the T stands for TURKEY!)..."
Nicky responded, "But I love you anyhow, Jilder..."
Kevin bent over Nicky, pushed his wild hair back out of his eyes a bit and said, "We're so happy to see you in good spirits. We talked about how your having to go through your recovery again might be a bummer, but you seem up to the job... "
"Oh, yeah, Nicky," Hugo said, "We spoke with Dr. Gilmer for a few minutes in the hall on the way up to your room. He seemed pleased too with your response to his repositioning your retainer. He also said that you were in a remarkably peaceful frame of mind, but he wanted to remind us that every now and then we needed to remind you how valuable you are... "
Hugo reached down to the bed and took Nicky's hand in his: "Nicky, you cannot begin to know how MUCH you mean to me... You are so valuable that I don't know what I'd do without you."
And Hugo continued to stroke Nicky's hand as he spoke: "Our family would never be the same without you... Don't ever forget that we love you very much and that you are VERY VALUABLE, not just to me, but to each one of us...."
Jilder taunted from across the room, "Yeah! Turkey... I love your ass... That's the only thing that's savin you!"
Nicky started to tear up. He was hearing the very things he longed to hear, and that made all the difference in the world to him... Whatever discomfort he may encounter in this latest detour in convalescence would mean nothing to him.
"Nicky, Hugo, Kev, Jilder, we gotta be going. Dillon is up way past his nap time. Tomorrow evening we'll probably be bringing Dillon back over to visit with Nicky."
"Oh, great," Kevin said. "Maybe we can meet you guys for dinner at Coco's sometime before that?"
"Let's keep in touch. Give either Craig or me a call tomorrow when you know what you're gonna be doing." Jake said.
"And, Kevin..." Jake added, "Do you think you could bring YOUR little dog, Pepe, when we meet. Dillon has been talking about "doggie" all day. I'd really love for him to meet Pepe, if you can do it"
"Oh, sure, Jake. That wouldn't be any problem at all," Kevin answered
"And Hugo, I damn near forgot," Craig said. "We've just got to sit down together and discuss a new business project that's come up, to decide whether we think we wanna try for it."
"Whoa! That's good news. When you have a kid who keeps runnin up hospital bills like ours does, you need all the cash you can find..." Hugo joked.
"Oh, Dad. I'm so sorry I cost you all that money. I promise when I grow up, I'll help you buy something special... I'm gonna be a doctor!" Nicky announced.
Kevin said, "Oh, my goodness! Nicky. That's the first I've heard about that aspiration. You know you'll need to go to school for a long time, and it takes a lot of work, but we'll be here to help you... And if you decide to do something different in the meantime, well that'll be okay with us too. We just want you boys to find your way to where ever life leads you... Don't worry, Nicky. Remember, like you said, God will help you decide what you ought to do with your life... Take your time. You needn't rush... Good grief, you're not even a teenager yet..."
"Yeah! But I'll BE 13 in just a little over a year," Nicky pointed out.
"Well, yeah! Goodness time passes fast when you're having fun..." Hugo said.
"Nicky. I don't want you to think twice about my bad joke about hospital bills. That was not a nice thing for me to say, and I regret that I planted the seed that I'm anything but grateful to be able to help you heal just by helping to provide the medical care. Remember, Nicky, you are too valuable to lose! You know that Kevin and I both will be seeing to your care... And you must not worry about anything except getting well... Hum? And maybe avoiding Jilder's tickling you in revenge..." Hugo said.
Everyone had gone and the room was quiet. Nicky was alone for the first time, he realized.
"Tap, tap, tap" on the door.
Without his even saying anything the door opened and the nurse came in. "Are you doing okay, Mr. Nicky?" she said.
"Yeah! But I could sure use a pain pill to help me go to sleep. I know I have to be careful not to use too many of them, but I remember from last time I was in the hospital, Dr. Gilmer said he wanted me to sleep, and that using one pill at night and maybe one in the morning wouldn't be too much," Nicky said.
"My goodness, Nick. It sounds like I'm talkin to Dr. Gilmer himself. You sure are up on this medical stuff," the nurse said.
"I hope I can study and get to be a doctor," Nicky said. "I think they really help people, and especially people like me who do dumb things to get sick... And maybe I can even help alcoholics..."
"Oh, Nick! You just had to learn the best way to do what you wanted. Next time you'll understand, and you won't hurt yourself," the nurse said.
"Yeah!" Nicky said.
"How's about me gettin you that pain pill right now. I think you'd probably do best too if you get plenty of sleep. The more rest you get, I'll bet the faster you'll heal, and then the faster you can go home..." the nurse reminded Nicky.
"I think you're right," Nicky answered.
"And I want you to know that I appreciate your helping me while I'm sick. You are valuable," Nicky said.
Apparently Nick realized that EVERYONE needs to feel valuable. And when you SEE that someone is valuable, it's good to tell them...
The nurse was back in a jiffy with a pain pill.
"Well, Thank You, Nicky... That is very nice of you..." and handing him the pill and a cup of water the nurse waited for him to take it. "Just call me if you need anything, Nicky."
"G'nite" Nicky replied. And he nestled his head in the pillow that the nurse had fluffing up for him. He knew that he needed to lie there straight, and that he wouldn't be doing much squirming in the bed until he had healed some more.
Nicky smiled to himself as he drifted off to sleep thinking: "It sure feels good to know that your dads and everybody say you're valuable..."